Use the Remove-RemoteMailbox cmdlet if you want to remove an on-premises mail-enabled user and its mailbox from the service. If you want only to remove the mailbox from the service and keep the associated on-premises user, use the Disable-RemoteMailbox cmdlet.

Directory synchronization must be configured correctly for a mailbox to be removed from the service. Removal of the mailbox from the service isn't immediate. It depends on the directory synchronization schedule.

You need to be assigned permissions before you can run this cmdlet. Although all parameters for this cmdlet are listed in this topic, you may not have access to some parameters if they're not included in the permissions assigned to you. To see what permissions you need, see the "Remote mailboxes" entry in the Mailbox Permissions topic.

The Identity parameter identifies the mail-enabled user and its associated mailbox in the service that you want to remove. You can use one of the following values:

ADObjectID

Distinguished name (DN)

Legacy DN

GUID

Domain\Account name

User principal name (UPN)

E-mail address

Alias

Confirm

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The Confirm switch causes the command to pause processing and requires you to acknowledge what the command will do before processing continues. You don't have to specify a value with the Confirm switch.

DomainController

Optional

Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Fqdn

The DomainController parameter specifies the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the domain controller that writes this configuration change to Active Directory.

IgnoreDefaultScope

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The IgnoreDefaultScope parameter instructs the command to ignore the default recipient scope setting for the Exchange Management Shell session and use the entire forest as the scope. This allows the command to access Active Directory objects that aren't currently in the default scope. Using the IgnoreDefaultScope parameter introduces the following restrictions:

You can't use the DomainController parameter. The command uses an appropriate global catalog server automatically.

You can only use the DN for the Identity parameter. Other forms of identification, such as alias or GUID, aren't accepted.

IgnoreLegalHold

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The IgnoreLegalHold switch ignores the legal hold status of the mailbox user and allows you to remove the cloud mailbox that’s on legal hold.

Warning:

After you remove a mailbox, you can’t include it in a discovery search. Depending on the command parameters you use, removed mailboxes are either purged immediately or when the deleted mailbox retention period expires. To learn more, see Understanding Disconnected Mailboxes. Check with your organization’s legal or Human Resources department before disabling a mailbox that’s on legal hold.

WhatIf

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The WhatIf switch instructs the command to simulate the actions that it would take on the object. By using the WhatIf switch, you can view what changes would occur without having to apply any of those changes. You don't have to specify a value with the WhatIf switch.